Florida Gators LBs Pup Howard and Myles Graham Ready to Step Up

Junior linebackers Pup Howard and Myles Graham sit in the heart of the Florida Gators defense. With Shemar James and his senior leadership at the position departing, the onus and responsibility falls to them.

In 2024, the Gators showed enough progress late to warrant faith in the continued ascension of their unit. Now, pressure meets Graham and Howard to start giving their Gators defense metaphorical teeth.

Can they shoulder the burden?

Replacing James

For Graham, playing at Florida means more than just participating as a legacy player. 2025 presents the chance to make his own mark and define his own legacy. However, the tallest of tasks await him. In replacing T.J. Searcy, Graham will need to operate as a complete linebacker. Searcy looked just as comfortable in pass coverage as he did barreling downhill against the run game.

Eight tackles for loss and three forced fumbles from the middle linebacker spot lends credence that anyone trying to fill Searcy's cleats would need to seriously step their game up. The speedy Graham can cover more ground than Searcy, but can he bring the same force to his plays?

Pup Needs to Run the Kennel

In nine games, you could easily see the reason why Florida brought Pup Howard in. Don’t let the young canine nickname fool you, Howard brought a bite to his play. If he wasn't running through ball carriers, he tried to shake the ball loose.

As a result, he will look to play a more profound role within Florida's 3-3-5 scheme. Howard can form a sideline-to-sideline combination with Graham that can affect passing routes underneath and remain a force against any rushing attack.

Bottom Line

Like the football axiom states, Howard and Graham will serve as the quarterbacks of the defense. They will ensure that constant communication will assist in execution. How the defense plays centers on them and how they process their roles as the leaders. If they succeed, the entire defense should benefit.

Conversely, any lag in play will hurt Florida as they pursue a consistent 2025 campaign. For the players that compete up front and those five in the secondary behind them, Pup Howard and Myles Graham need to show that they are ready to take the lead in Gainesville.